The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-21
SUNK IN COLLISION.
Tae Dutch Steamer ". A. SehOlten
Lost Off Dover.
One Hundred and Thirty-TWo Persons
Missing.
Sleeping Passengers Aroused by the
Crash Of Collision.
Story Of the Struggle for Life in the
Icy Water.
Heartrendering Scenes on the Deck
Of the Sinking Ship.
Conflicting Stories About the Cause Of
the Disaster.
Heartrendering Scenes on the Deck
Of the Sinking Ship.
Conflicting Stories About the Cause Of
the Disaster.

the Disaster.
LONDON, Nov. 20.-The Dutch steamer W.
A. Scholten. Capt. Toat, left Rotterdam,
Yesterday morning for New York and was
sunk by collision with the steamer Rosa
Mary of Hartlepool, at II o'clock last night,
10 miles off Dover. The Scholten carried 23O
passengers and crew. The steamer Ebro of
Sunderland rescued 90 of the crew and pas
sengers and landed them at the Sailors
Home, Dover One hundred and forty pas
sengers are missing. One passenger and a
child of the party brought to Dover were
found dead from exposure. 1t is hoped that
passing vessels rescued the missing. The
w. A. Scholten's masts are visible from
Dover pier. Boats soon left Dover, bound
in all directions, for the purpose of saving
life and property if possible. The Rosa
Mary anchored off Ramsgate with her bows
stove. Up to 2.05 p. M, bodies from the
Schotten were landed at Dover.
The Collision.
At the time of the accident, a dense fog
prevailed. The Scholten was struck on the
port bow by the Rosa Mary and Immediate
ly after the shock, the Scholten's passengers,
all of whom had retired for the night, rush
ed an deck in their night gowns. The boats
were promptly ordered lowered, but it was
found that only two were available, the
others, being useless. were not lowered The
water rushed swiftly through the hole in
this bow, and a terrible scene ensued. Panic
stricken passengers uttered piercing shrieks
and many fell upon their knees and prayed
aloud. Little children chung to their mothers.
who, themselves, were shrieking with terror.
The officers were cool and self possessed, and
remained on the bridge to the last. Several
persons procured life belts and leaped into
the sea. Within 20 minutes Of the shock the
Scholten was engulfed. All VINO naq put on
life belts floated and were rescued by the
boats from the Ebro, which cruised around
until Ia. m. Many of the rescued lost their
wives and husbands, brothers ana sisters.
The survivors were supplied with clotnes
and everything possible was done to insure
their comfort.
Conflicting Accounts.
The passengers accounts differ regarding
the circumstances, and the reports of the Of
ficers of the Scholten clash with those of the
officers of the Rosa Mary. Some of the pas
sengers state that after an evening OF merri-
ment had ceased, most of the passengers had
retired to their hunks, only "a few remaining
in the saloon, when tremendous crash was
heard on the port bow. 1t was impossible
that the collision could have occurred by the
Schotten striking an anchored vessel The
second mate of the Seholten reports that he
was on deck when he saw an unknown
steamer coming through the fog. Before
anything could be done, the Scholten was
struck in the fore rigging, on the port DOW.
The other vessel backed off and disappear ed.
Within twenty minutes the Scholten sunk.
The Second Officers Statement.
The second officer declares that every pre-
caution was taken ON the Scholten and
good lookout was kept. Capt. Toat had the
ordinary watch on the bridge at the time OF
the disaster, and all the officers intended to
remain there until the vessel was fairly
down the channel. The captain was last
seen at his post trying to quiet the passen-
gers and get the boats off.
Blaming Each other.
An officer of the Scholten states that the
Rosa Mary was carrying no side lights but
showing the usual mast head lights to indi-
cate that she was lying at, anchor. They
steered straight down the channel, leaving
her sufficient room to pass clear. When they
drew near they found she was steaming
ahead and making right on to them. At
tempts were made to signal her off but IL
was too late and she struck the Scholten on
the port bow, ripping off thep plates for some
hole extended below the water line.
The officers of the Rosa Mary aver tnat
they were lying at anchor and were run In
to. They say they do not weigh anchor un-
til morning.
1t is reported that the captain of the Rosa
Mary denies the statement that his yessel
was in collision with the W. A.. Scholten
He AYERS that the Rosa Mary was injured by
a collision by another vessel while lying at
anchor.
SearchIng.for 1.-THE Dead.
Among the bodies landed at Dover IS that
of Henry Blanco of Ohio, the sole cabin pas
senger. The engineer was rescued after
being in the water three hours. No bodies
were recovered during the morning, as the
tide set to the eastward Many OF the bod
les were brought back with the ebb tide, but
darkness prevented the recovery OF more.
Boats and tugs were put to sea, In the hopes
of picking up others in the morning. Many
of The bodies recovered look as if the people
had frozen to death. The Rosa Mary sus-
tanned extensive damage, and was only kept
afloat by her water-tight bulkheads
ParaIyzed witt, the Cold.s
DIR. Ryme of New York, the Scholten's
surgeon, thinks the Rosa Mary had just
weighed anchor and that the crew had for
gotten to put up the side lights. He says
that many of those saved by the Ebro were
paralyzed with cold. and were resuscitated
with dificulty The boats, which were cut
away, possibly foated when the steamer
sank.
The Latest Statement.
According to the --latest statement there
were 210 persons on board the Seholten,
leaving 1872 drowned and missing. The
Scbolten lies four miles from the admiralty
pier in position dangerous to navigation.
A buoy and light were placed at the wreck.
The bodies at Dover are distorted showing
that death was caused py violence and not
by drowning.
Scenes of Terror.
One of the saved. Monte Colo, from the
Tvrol. states that the scenes On the sinking
shin were terrible. The steerage passengers
were stricken with terror and ran about the
deck in wild confusion. The captain tried
his utmost to restore order, but without eff
feet. The passengers rusned ior the boats
the oficers could keep them from jumping
into and sinking them, Colo was in the
water two hours, and Wnen taken out was
greatly exhausted. owing to the extreme
cold and his efforts to keep afloat After the
vessel sunk the cries of persons in the water
could be heard for long time in all direc-
tions.
Panic Stricken Passengers.
George Moore, a passenger, states that
when the crash occurred, general rush was
made for the deck Il was told," said
Moore. ''that nothing serious had occurred.
but secured a life belt. There were six
English passengers on board. and one girl
asked us to keey in group that the English
might 90 down together. was in the water
long time before / was picked up. When
the Scholten sank the cries were heartrend-